During the first half of 2021 border guards refused more than 19.3 thousand foreigners to cross the border.

During the first half of 2021 border guards refused more than 19.3 thousand foreigners to cross the border.

These figures have increased by an average of 1.6 times compared to the first half of 2020 (in January-June 2020, border guards refused 11.7 thousand people to cross the border). The increase was mainly due to quarantine restrictions and applied to foreigners arriving from countries with a high prevalence of COVID-19 who did not have the necessary documents to enter Ukraine during the pandemic.

Among them there are Russian citizens - 2,818 people - this figure increased 2.7 times compared to last year, and citizens of Moldova, Turkey, Poland, Romania, Belarus and Germany were more likely to be denied entry.

Most non-admissions across the border were recorded at air checkpoints, as well as on the border with Russia, Moldova and Belarus.

It is worth noting that the share of potential illegal migrants has significantly increased - from 2,270 people in the first half of last year - to 4,558 people this year. And the leading place was taken by Russians in this category of people - 1 236 citizens.

The largest number of refusals to cross the border by potential illegal migrants was recorded at air checkpoints - 62.1% of the total.